This is a banner year for the Rome-based Fendi family, which also is marking 60 years in business and 20 years in partnership with designer Karl Lagerfeld.

On the eve of the Italian spring ready-to-wear collections in Milan, the Fendis are celebrating in Rome on Oct. 5 with the opening of a Fendi-Lagerfeld retrospective exhibition at Italy`s National Museum of Modern Art to be followed by a gala black-tie dinner kicking off the new Fendi scent.

The fragrance, called Fendi, will debut in Italian stores in October, and will be arriving in America next year.

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Also on the fragrance front, there are unconfirmed reports that Paul Newman, of acting, car racing, popcorn, spaghetti sauce and salad dressing fame, is toying with the idea of a perfume.

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In the last days of summer, New Yorkers enjoyed the last vestiges of the season`s style.

Men were out in cropped pants--just about clam-digger length--and the

``Miami Vice`` T-shirt and jacket look. Women have let their hair--or someone else`s--down with all sorts of wigs and falls, which are now being boutiqued in most major department and specialty stores, with sales up about 15 percent from last year.

With the craze for cotton stirrup pants and bright chintzes already on the wane here, the floral look is carrying on in an upsurge in the popularity of Belle France dresses, often in floral rayon with slouchy, `20s detailing and price tags around $100.

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New York designer Willi Smith of WilliWear Ltd. has wrapped up an unusual deal with environmental artist Christo, the fellow who wrapped 5 Florida islands with more than 6 million square feet of pink fabric.

Christo has targeted Paris`s venerable Pont Neuf bridge as his next artistic endeavor. On Sept. 21, he plans to wrap the entire span over the Seine with more than 40,000 square yards of champagne-tinted nylon fabric, supported by more than 6 miles of rope.

Of course, Christo`s 400 helpers will need to look chic for all this wrapping and roping. Enter Smith, who is outfitting all of them in oversized shirts emblazoned with an architectural drawing of the Pont Neuf by Christo, and one-size drawstring pants--all in pale blue cotton sheeting.

Smith also has designed a commemorative ``Christo-Pont Neuf Wrapped`` T-shirt that will be sold in department stores, museums and art galleries in Europe and the United States in fall.

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Dethroned Miss America Vanessa Williams is back in the pages of the Royal Silk catalogue this fall, looking almost as demure as she did in spring when she wore a high-necked, pristine white cotton blouse.

This time she plays a no-nonsense career woman in a silk tweed blazer and sil